Abstract: One embodiment can provide a photovoltaic roof tile module. The photovoltaic roof tile module can include a front encapsulant layer and a back encapsulant layer where both the front and back encapsulant layers include different pigments. The front encapsulant layer can include a small amount of pigment that absorbs and scatters particular frequencies of visible light to give the photovoltaic roof tile a desired color. The small amount of pigment does not absorb or scatter a significant amount of infrared light. Two or more photovoltaic roof tiles can be combined to form a photovoltaic module. The two or more photovoltaic roof tiles can have different concentrations of pigment in the front encapsulant layer to give the photovoltaic module a small amount of color variation.

Abstract: Described herein are embodiments of an approach to attaching one or more photovoltaic (PV) modules to a roof of a building. More particularly, described herein are embodiments of an approach to attaching glass-glass PV modules using an adhesive. Such an adhesive may be applied to contact points between the roof and a support frame that holds the glass-glass PV module(s) in place and that may be mechanically coupled to the glass-glass PV module(s). Use of the adhesive in this way may be particularly advantageous when the roof is sloped, including when the roof has a steep slope, which may include roofs having a rise-to-run ratio greater than 4:12, greater than 6:12, or greater than 8:12. The adhesive may, in some embodiments, aid in reducing, minimizing, or eliminating the use of mechanical anchor points that may be needed to support the glass-glass PV module(s) on the roof.

Abstract: Nanoscale particles, particle coatings/particle arrays and corresponding consolidated materials are described based on an ability to vary the composition involving a wide range of metal and/or metalloid elements and corresponding compositions. In particular, metalloid oxides and metal-metalloid compositions are described in the form of improved nanoscale particles and coatings formed from the nanoscale particles. Compositions comprising rare earth metals and dopants/additives with rare earth metals are described. Complex compositions with a range of host compositions and dopants/additives can be formed using the approaches described herein. The particle coating can take the form of particle arrays that range from collections of disbursable primary particles to fused networks of primary particles forming channels that reflect the nanoscale of the primary particles. Suitable materials for optical applications are described along with some optical devices of interest.

Abstract: Polymer-inorganic particle blends are incorporated into structures generally involving interfaces with additional materials that can be used advantageously for forming desirable devices. In some embodiments, the structures are optical structures, and the interfaces are optical interfaces. The different materials at the interface can have differences in index-of-refraction to yield desired optical properties at the interface. In some embodiments, structures are formed with periodic variations in index-of-refraction. In particular, photonic crystals can be formed. Suitable methods can be used to form the desired structures.

Abstract: Nanoscale particles, particle coatings/particle arrays and corresponding consolidated materials are described based on an ability to vary the composition involving a wide range of metal and/or metalloid elements and corresponding compositions. In particular, metalloid oxides and metal-metalloid compositions are described in the form of improved nanoscale particles and coatings formed from the nanoscale particles. Compositions comprising rare earth metals and dopants/additives with rare earth metals are described. Complex compositions with a range of host compositions and dopants/additives can be formed using the approaches described herein. The particle coating can take the form of particle arrays that range from collections of disbursable primary particles to fused networks of primary particles forming channels that reflect the nanoscale of the primary particles. Suitable materials for optical applications are described along with some optical devices of interest.